Laura Anne GilmanOct 25, 2024

Living with a #ReactiveDog is lonely, sometimes, because it's hard to share good/bad moments with anyone who hasn't gone through this themselves. "She snarled, but stopped when I told her no" - most people would focus on the fact that she snarled at all, and miss the importance of "but stopped."

That's not just progress, it's a victory.

Show threadDeep Breath; Start Again
@LAGilman We just finished a year of training with a 3 year old #reactivedog. We’re finally at the place where he’s more often relaxed than crazy. It’s been a long process. Every once in a while, we meet someone who gets it. During this morning’s walk, a woman parked her car near where we were standing. She got out of her car and said, “is he friendly?” It didn’t break my ❤️ to say he isn’t. I realize now that’s who he is. She said “I get it; my dog is reactive, too.” Family.
Oct 25, 2024 at 10:01pmWeb
Show threadLaura Anne GilmanOct 26, 2024
@caban4 It’s been almost 3 years of work with Maxi, but we didn’t find the right trainer until a year in. She was amazing, and taught us both a lot. Max still isn’t safe around everyone, and will never be kid-safe, but she’s managed to expand her “pack“ and is learning how to interact without excessive fear.
Show threadDeep Breath; Start AgainOct 26, 2024
@LAGilman That’s good news, and training for three years takes dedication on your part. That’s impressive! You obviously love her and want her to succeed. We were very lucky finding our trainer, and she was born to train! She gave us great resources and taught us that we have to learn to speak Dog. That’s helped a lot. If you can find the Calming Signals and Barking books by Turid Rugaas, they’re 💯. The Other End of the Leash by McConnell is good, too. They’ve help me greatly!